Mechanism for holding dishwashing machine door closed and for raising door



Oct. 18, 1966 T. H. NOREN ETAL MECHANISM FOR HOLDING DISHWASHING MACHINE DOOR CLOSED AND FOR RAISING DOOR Original Filed Nov. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 m m N O R W 5 m HF FD Oct. 18, 1966 T. H. NOREN ETAL MECHANISM FOR HOLDING DISHWASHING MACHINE DOOR CLOSED AND FOR RAISING DOOR Original Filed NOV. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nnunu .Z' -7 Ed.

INVENTORS 7525 H. NOEEN SW65 J. FZ-pE/e/sH/ W M451, a? @2 V ATTOE/VE Y Oct. 18, 1966 T. H. NOREN ET AL MECHANISM FOR HOLDING DISHWASHING MACHINE DOOR CLOSED AND FOR RAISING DOOR Original Filed NOV. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS 72725 H. No EEN Gauges J lQ'D'E/GH/ W%P% ATTORNEY United States Patent MECHANISM FOR HOLDING DISHWASHING MA- C DOOR CLOSED AND FOR RAISING DOOR Tore H. Noren and George .I. Federighi, both of 1350 Donner St., San Francisco, Calif.

Original application Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,510, new Patent No. 3,246,938, dated Apr. 19, 1966. Divided and this application July 28, 1965, Ser. No. 475,535

4 Claims. (Cl. 312-320) The present invention is a division of our copending patent application on a mechanism for holding a dishwashing machine door closed and for raising the door, Serial No. 324,510, filed November 18, 1963, now Patent No. 3,246,938.

The present invention relates to improvements in magnetic means for holding dishwashing machine door closed and for raising door, and it consists in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the copending case, the closing of the dishwashing machine door caused the mechanism to automatically lock the door in closed position and hold it closed until the entire washing and rinsing cycles of the machine were completed. Then the door was automatically released from its locked position and a spring biased lever raised the door into open position without any aid being necessary from the operator.

The present invention makes use of permanent magnets for holding the dishwashing machine door in closed position when once the operator closes the door. At the end of the dishwashing and rinsing cycles, the operator merely needs to initially lift the door to release the hold of the magnets and then the door-raising mechanism will do the rest in raising the door into open position and will hold the door open until the operator again closes it.

When a wrap-around door is used, the side doors are interconnected by a front door portion to form a threesided door that can be raised and lowered as a unit. When the wrap-around door is raised, it will open the two sides and front of the machine simultaneously. The omission of the two front corner posts of the machine will permit it to be used for straight through operation or corner operation in the washing of dishes.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues. The novel features of the invention will be set forth in the appended claims.

Drawings For a better understanding of our invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a dishwashing machine on a small scale, showing our spring biased dooropening mechanism operatively applied thereto. The door is shown in open position by dot-dash lines and the lever for closing the door is swung into the raised dot-dash line position by coil springs during the opening of the door.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of FIGURE 1 and also illustrates the door and lever is raised position by the dot-dash lines.

FIGURE 3 is a partial side elevation on a larger scale and illustrates both the door and lever in raised position by dot-dash lines.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and shows one of the two links pivotally connected at one end to the lever and pivotally connected at its other end to the door.

FIGURE 5 is a rear view on a smaller scale than FIG- URE 4 and shows the rear portion of the dishwasher when looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG- URE 2 and illustrates the adjustable spring mechanism for constantly exerting a force on the lever for swinging the lever and raising the door into open position and for yieldingly maintaining the door in open position.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of one of the coil springs and associate mechanism for yieldingly urging the lever at all times in a direction for raising the door and holding it in open position.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 3 and illustrates one of the pivotal connections between the side bar of the rectangularly-shaped lever and the side of the dishwasher.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of FIGURE 3 and illustrates the three-sided wrap-around door with its two side door portions pivotally connected by links to the two side bars of the rectangular lever.

FIGURE 9 is an inside perspective view of a portion of a dishwasher with the cover raised a slight distance above the tank and illustrating magnetic means for holding the cover in closed position when the cover is manually closed. The cover-opening means illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 8 inclusive is the same means used in FIGURE 9 for continuously yieldingly urging the cover into open position.

FIGURE 10 is a vertical section taken along the line 10-11) of FIGURE 9 and shows the cover in closed position.

FIGURE 11 is a vertical section taken along the line 11-11 of FIGURE 10 and shows the cover in closed position.

FIGURE 12 are isomeric views of one of the magnets and keeper, one view showing the magnet separated from the keeper and the other view showing the magnet contacting the keeper.

While we have shown only the preferred form of our invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Detailed description at A which is mounted on legs 1, see FIGURE 1. A backmember B rises vertically from the top and rear of the tank A, see FIGURE 2, and supports a hood, indicated generally at C in FIGURE 8. A three-sided or wraparound door D normally closes the space between the top of the tank A and the hood. The dishwasher is not provided with front corner posts extending between the tank and the hood and therefore when the wrap-around door D is in raised position, the entire front and sides of the machine between the tank top and the hood are open and free. This permits the dishwasher to be used for a straight through dishwashing operation or a corner dishwashing operation.

A top plan view of the wrap-around door D, shows it to be C-shaped as in FIGURE 8 and the vertical end edges 2 of the side door members D1 are slidably received in parallel door guide grooves 3 provided in the back member B, see also FIGURE 3. It is possible to have Teflon inserts, not shown, mounted in the door guide grooves 3 for making the movement of the door D more easy to perform.

The mechanism for opening the door will now be described. A door-opening and a door-closing lever E is in the shape of a rectangle that entirely encircles the dishwasher as clearly shown in the top plan view of FIGURE 8. The lever is formed of two C-shaped portions that face each other. The rear portion E1 has parallel side arms 3'3' and a rear interconnecting portion 4 for the side arms. Each side arm 3 is pivotally connected to a side 5 of the back member B, and we have illustrated one of these pivotal connections in the enlarged sectional view of FIGURE 7. Each side arm 3 is received in a hollow T-member 6. The hollow stem 7 of the T- member 6 extends toward the side 5 of the back member B. A plate 8 is mounted in the interior of the hollow back member B and is secured in place by any suitable fastening means such as bolts, not shown. A pivot pin 9 has one end inserted in an opening in the plate 8 and is welded to the plate. The other end of the pin projects through an opening 10 in the side 5 and extends beyond the side so as to be rotatably received in the hollow cylindrical stem 7 of the T-member 6. A Teflon bearin g sleeve 11 is carried by the stem 7 and rotates on the pin 9 when the side arm 3' is swung.

The ends of the side arms 3-3 are received in sleeves 12-12, see FIGURE 8. The front C-shaped portion E2 of the rectangular lever E has parallel side arms 13-13 that are interconnected by a transversely extending front handle portion 14. The ends of the side arms 13-13 are received in the sleeves 12-12. FIGURES 4 and 8 show bolts 15 extending transversely through the sleeves 12-12 and being pivotally connected to links 16-16. The bolts 15 extend between the spaced apart ends 3-3' and 13-13 of the rear portion E1 and the front portion E2 of the lever E. The links 16-16 have their other ends pivotally connected to bolts 17-17 that are carried by plates 18-18, see FIGURE 4. The plates 18-13 in turn are secured to the side door members Dir-D1 of the wrap around door D by welding or other suitable fastening means. The pivot pins 9 are disposed above the bottom of the hood C so that when the door-actuating lever E has its front handle portion raised into open position for opening the door D, the front portion E2 and the side arms 33' 'will extend above the space between the hood and the tank A and keep this space entirely clear for free movement of dish racks.

It will be seen from this construction that when the front handle portion 14 of the rectangular lever E is raised from the full to the dot-dash line positions in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the links 16-16 will raise the door D into open position. As the handle portion 14 is moved upwardly, the rear interconnecting portion 4 of the lever B will be swung downwardly. We make use of this downward movement of the rear portion 4- for yieldingly urging the door D into open position at all times.

In FIGURE 5 the rear of the dishwasher is shown on a smaller scale than FIGURES 3 and 4 and the rear interconnecting portion 4 for the lever B is shown extending transversely across the rear of the machine. We provide a spring mechanism that will continually exert a downward yielding force on the rear portion 4 that is sufiicient to lift the wrap around door D into open position and hold it there until manual force is used for closing the door. A pair of straps 19-19 have their upper ends bent into cylindrical portions 20-20 that receive Teflon sleeve inserts 20', see FIGURE 3. The inserts are mounted on the rear portion 4 of the lever E and act as bearings for permittnig the cylindrical portions 20-20 to rock on the rear portion 4. Clamps 21-21, see FIGURE 5, are mounted on the portion 4 and bear against the cylindrical portions 20-29 for bold ing the latter in spaced apart relation. The clamps are adjustably secured to the portion 4 by screws 21, see FIGURE 6.

The lower ends of the straps 19-19 are formed into hooks 22-22 that are connected to the upper ends of the coil springs 23-23. A transversely-extending coil spring engaging bracket 24, see FIGURE 6, is placed between any two adjacent coils in the lower end of the spring. The curved ends 24 of the bracket receive the 4 adjacent coil and prevent any transverse movement between the bracket and the spring. The bracket has a central bolt-receiving opening therein and a nut 25 is welded to the top of the bracket 24 and has its threaded opening aligned with the opening in the bracket. A washer 26 is Welded to the underside of the bracket 24 and has its opening aligned with the openings in the bracket and nut 25. A bolt 27 has its threaded end adjustably received in the threaded bore of the nut 25. The shank of the bolt is also received in a slot in an angle bracket 28 and the bracket in turn is welded to the bottom rear rail 29 of the tank A, as shown in FIGURE 6.

Two spring mechanisms are used and exert a suflicient downward pull on the rear portion 4 of the door-opening lever E to move the door D upwardly as soon as the door is freed and to hold the door in open position. Adjustment can be made by sliding the bracket 24 between any two adjacent loops or coils in the springs 23. Fine adjustment can be elfectived by rotating the bolts 27 in the nuts 25 to vary the tension of the springs 23.

In FIGURES 9 to 12 inclusive we disclose magnets and keepers for holding the door D closed after the door is manually closed. FIGURE 9 shows the interior portions of the tank A and the door D. The door D has two nonmagnetic housings K mounted on the inside of the door and adjacent to the corners where the front door portion connects with the side door portions D1. The housings are open at their bottoms and receive horse shoe permanent magnets 75. The housings K, in FIGURE 12 are shown in phantom by dot-dash lines in order to illustrate clearly the horse shoe magnets 75. The legs of the magnets project a slight distance below the lower edge 76 of the housing K. The lower edges 76 of the housings K preferably lie in the same plane as the lower edge 77 of the door D.

The tank A has two non-magnetic angle-shaped brackets 7 8 disposed directly below the horse shoe magnets 75 and secured to the inner surface of the front wall 79 of the tank and adjacent to the side walls 89. The brackets 78 have horizontal shelves 78' that receive the threaded shanks of metal bolts 81. A metal keeper 82 has openings for slidably receiving the shanks of the bolts 81. The keeper 82 rests on the supporting shelf 78' of the bracket 78 when the door D is raised above the tank A as shown in the left hand lower figure of FIGURE 12 and in FIGURE 9. When the door D is closed, the ends of the horse shoe magnets 75 will attract the metal keepers 82 and will lift them on the shanks of the bolts 81 until the keepers bear against the undersides of the heads of the screws or bolts as shown in the right hand figure of FIGURE 12.

In FIGURES l0 and 11, the cover D is shown in closed position with respect to the tank A. Note that the lower edge 77 of the cover enters the top of the tank. The magnet-receiving housings K are mounted on plates 83 which in turn are Welded to the inner surface of the front door portion D. A splash water-receiving and reinforcing trough 84 extends across the inner surface of the front door wall D and the upper edges of the plates 83 are also welded to this trough. Each plate 83 has a stud 85 welded thereto and the stud projects through two aligned openings in the housing K. FIGURES l0 and ll show the studs 85 holding the horse shoe magnets 75 in the housings. Nuts 86 are threaded upon the studs for aiding in holding the housings in place. If desired the housings K need not be welded to the plates 83, but can be held in place by the studs 85 and nuts 86.

In operation, the magnets 75 when contacting with the metal keepers 82 exert sufiicient magnetic force to hold the door D in closed position when once the door is manually closed by forcing the handle 14 downwardly. The magnetic attraction between the magnets 75 and keepers 82 can be broken by the operator lifting upwardly on the handle 14. This is done at the end of the washing and rinsing cycles of the dishwasher.

As soon as the magnetic attraction is broken by the (a) a vertically movable door adapted to close the manual initial lifting of the door D, the springs 23 will dishwashing and rinsing space; of take over and pull downwardly on the rear portion 4 of (b) a lever pivoted to said dishwashing machine and the lever B and will swing the side bars 3'3 of the having a front portion extending forwardly from said lever about the pivot pins 9 to lift the door D and hold 5 and being operatively connected to said door for it in open position until the door is again manually closed. closing it when said front portion is swung down- We claim: wardly; and lever having a rear portion extending 1. In a device of the type described; the combination rearwardly from said pivot and swinging downwardly with a dishwashing machine including when said front portion is swung upwardly for open- (a) a tank; 10 ing said door; (-b) a back member rising vertically above said tank; (c) spring means for yieldingly exerting a continuous (c) a hood carried by said back member and being downward pull on said rear portion of said lever of spaced above said tank to provide adishwashing and suflicient force to lift and maintain said door in rinsing space between said hood and said tank; and open position when said door is freed from its closed (d) a vertically movable door adapted to close the position; and

dishwashing and rinsing space; of (d) magnetic means for yieldingly holding said door (e) a lever pivoted to said back member and having in closed position when said door is manually closed. a front portion extending forwardly from said pivot 4. The combination as set forth in claim 3: and in and being operatively connected to said door for which closing said door when said front portion is swung (a) said magnetic means includes at least one magnet downwardly; said lever having a rear portion extending rearwardly from said pivot and swinging downwardly when said front portion is swung upwardly for opening said door;

carried by said door and a keeper carried by said dishwashing machine; said keeper being contacted by said magnet when said door is closed, the magnetic force being strong enough to overcome said (f) spring means for yieldingly exerting a continuous downward pull on said rear portion of said lever of sufficient force to lift and maintain said door in open position when said door is freed from its closed position; and

(g) magnetic means for yieldingly holding said door UNITED STATES PATENTS spring-biased lever for keeping said door closed until manually opened.

References Cited by the Examiner in closed position when said door is manually closed. 2 732 793 2 1957 Bradley et 1 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in 2 337 3 1 53 Loetb 292-2515 Whwh 3,049,391 8/1962 Meeker et al 312-272 (a) said magnetic means includes at least one magnet carried by said door and a keeper carried by said FOREIGN PATENTS tank; said keeper being contacted by said magnet 696 676 1/1931 France when said door is closed, the magnetic force being strong enough to overcome said spring-biased lever for keeping said door closed until the door is manually opened. 3. The combination with a dishwashing machine including a dishwashing and rinsing space; and

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

3. THE COMBINATION WITH A DISHWASHING MACHINE INCLUDING A DISHWASHING AND RINSING SPACE; AND (A) A VERTICALLY MOVABLE DOOR ADAPTED TO CLOSE THE DISHWASHING AND RINSING SPACE; OF (B) A LEVER PIVOTED TO SAID DISHWASHING MACHINE AND HAVING A FRONT PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID AND BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DOOR FOR CLOSING IT WHEN SAID FRONT PORTION IS SWUNG DOWNWARDLY; AND LEVER HAVING A REAR PORTION EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID PIVOT AND SWINGING DOWNWARDLY WHEN SAID FRONT PORTION IS SWUNG UPWARDLY FOR OPENING SAID DOOR; (C) SPRING MEANS FOR YIELDINGLY EXERTING A CONTINUOUS DOWNWARD PULL ON SAID REAR PORTION OF SAID LVER OF SUFFICIENT FORCE TO LIFT AND MAINTAIN SAID DOOR IN OPEN POSITION WHEN SAID DOOR IS FREED FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION; AND (D) MAGNETIC MEANS FOR YIELDINGLY HOLDING SAID DOOR IN CLOSED POSITION WHEN SAID DOOR IS MANUALLY CLOSED. 